Officials loath to intervene in refinery dispute

The province does not want to use a legislative solution to end the labour dispute at the Co-op Refinery Complex (CRC), but nothing is off the table.

On Thursday, Labour Minister Don Morgan said the preference is for both parties to come to an understanding without further provincial intervention.

Morgan said he had spoken with the CRC and Unifor Local 594 in the past 24 hours, encouraging them sit down, potentially with special mediator Vince Ready to navigate a path forward.

“I think they’re close, but they need to sit down and get it across the finish line,” said Morgan. “If they want we can have a mediator from the province, a facilitator if they want to use Mr. Ready.”

Brad Delorey, spokesperson with the CRC, said that offer had not been communicated to the refinery as of Thursday afternoon.

“I was not aware of that at all,” said Delorey.

This week, the union voted in favour of the recommendations made by Ready and Amanda Rogers, which included the union paying eight per cent into their pensions, the elimination of a clause that guaranteed a minimum number of workers and adopting the National Pattern — a set of industry-wide bargaining norms for energy sector employees.

But the CRC rejected the recommendations and on Wednesday presented its own final offer to the union, which included less money into the employee savings plan and a greater share of contribution into the employee pensions.

“Mr. Ready’s report resolved, or brought a lot of the issues forward and I don’t know what loose ends are left, but I want to see them get resolved,” said Morgan.

He said the government has not had to legislate an agreement in the province for decades in the private or public sector. And even though he wasn’t keen on the idea, he said there is still a chance of the government taking a more active role in bargaining.

“We haven’t taken anything off the table,” said Morgan.

The minister said an expedient agreement was all the more needed in the face of COVID-19. Some 200 temporary workers, including those from out of province, continue to work and live on site at the refinery.

Morgan said OHS inspects the refinery regularly but the last inspection of the CRC was on Feb. 28, weeks before the Public Health Order (PHO) brought in measures to curb transmission of the new coronavirus.

But the presence of out-of-province workers is a concern for transmission of the virus, as several cases in Saskatchewan have been related to travel.

That’s why 200 workers are being housed at the refinery and are no longer travelling to and from Regina to their home communities, according to Delorey.

“No one is travelling back and forth any more,” he said.

“Those that are at camp and are from out of province are actually staying at camp.”

Workers at the refinery from Regina are asked to self-isolate upon returning to their home and to limit their exposure to others and the outside world. Also, before entering the refinery they are screened for symptoms, according to the CRC.

“With respect to COVID, our plan changes every day,” said Delorey.

Food service at the camp is now restricted to bag lunches only, chairs have been taken out of the lunchrooms and lines on the ground have been drawn to promote social distancing, said Delorey.